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What Health Concerns Could Micro and Nanoplastics Pose for Infants? A Review
Summary
Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in human placentas, meconium, and infant faeces, meaning babies can be exposed before and immediately after birth. This review examines what these early-life exposures might mean for infant health and development, and discusses broader policy responses to reduce plastic overproduction as the most direct route to protecting future generations.
Microplastics and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) have been found everywhere they have been searched. On the top of Everest, in the Mariana Trench, on the clouds e recently, microplastics have been discovered in the human placenta, meconium and babies’ feces. In this review we explain what the consequences of the presence of these pollutants in fetuses and newborns are, with particular attention to human breastfeeding. Finally, we outline the possible political and social solutions to the problem of plastic overproduction that characterizes the modern world.
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